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Old Dogs, Old Tricks
"I never thought I would hear that name again, not after all of these years..." An old voice echoed down the deserted halls in the underbelly of Era. The tapping of a stave could be heard as two men walked through the long-forgotten passage. Augustus Forthwright, Wizard Saint and Magic Counsel Member, mused to himself while his protege followed silently alongside of him. "Who is she? This Baba Yaga?" Leman asked, unfamiliar with the name. "A former saint, who left the organization longer ago than you've been alive," Augustus said over the patter of the staff and feet. "A master of mirrors, and far too nosy for her own good." He chuckled. "I haven't heard anything about her since she left, though I'm not surprised that she's still alive. That guild of hers is a thorn in our sides though. The Crow's Feet huh? Fitting for and old biddy like her." "Would you like me to take care of them, grandfather?" The younger man asked. "No, it's too early for you to create such a splash. And even then, you might be a match for her foot soldiers, but Baba herself is beyond you. Nothing short of a saint themself is going to be able to match her. Ivonne's Corona Magna could probably match her, as that magic is just superb for someone so young, but she's probably someone I should get rid of myself. After all, it was my mistake all of those years ago that caused this mess. But luckily, her guild's actions make it easy to paint in a negative light." The old saint laughed, "They should be called Vultures instead of Crows." "So what shall we do about her then?" "I'll have Ivonne keep up her current actions, they are quite useful after all. In the meantime, the Jewel of the Seven should be good enough bait. Leman, leak travel plans to the dark guilds that we are taking Titan Pass in the Arum Mountains while we move the jewel to take it to Crocus. Include that I am personally leading the guard. Then all we can do is see if she takes the bait. If we're lucky, the combination of bait and my presence should draw her out." "You are going to personally draw her out?" The young man asked. "Would she even dare fight against you grandfather?" "Maybe, maybe not." The old man shrugged. "But you know what they say about a woman scorned..." he added before pausing. "Now get moving Leman, spread the message, then get going. You have a guild to join." Augustus said with Finality, stamping his stave on the ground. "It's time to get to work." ---- Crow's Nest Mirror Mirror on the wall... Baba Yaga, her body covered in her signature green robe, sat at the edge of her bed. Her eyes stuck to the mirror before her. But the woman wasn't mesmerized by the same image she'd seen for decades. No. She travelled deep within her own mine. The windows to her soul. Surfing through memories. Reliving a lifetime several times over. Baba Yaga blinked. Still. Still. She couldn't see it. See how it managed to unfold the way it did. How did that little brat wind up several steps ahead of her. Baba Yaga, the former second strongest Wizard Saint. Someone who stood in his shoes when things went awry and his presence needed elsewhere. Outsmarted by a hatchling? Baba Yaga's been sloppy before, everyone has! But not so much that that little bitch could take advantage of her. She needed answers. Her little birdies were nowhere near ready to deal with the politics of the Wizard Council. She made sure to keep them to the books and adventures. And the person she wanted...well it'd be better if she went. The nearby Dark Guilds spoke a powerful Magic Item being transferred by none other than Augustus himself. The only other dinosaur on the council. He'd been a saint before Baba Yaga was able to cast her first flight spell. Having him protecting something ascribed its importance. But this little reunion wasn't about the item. She needed a chance. Baba Yaga needed to see into his soul. If anyone knew the truth, it'd be him. In the Shadow of the Valley "Why'd they even bring us along?" Jared Alrosa asked quietly as he walked to the man next to him. "If there's a wizard saint here, what in the world do they think is going to try and steal this jewel. It's a nice Jewel, but nothing worth tangling over a saint with." "Sir Forthwright probably figures that enough people will go after this thing that he'd rather not have to dirty his hands with them all. Ergo, he hires additional guards so he only has to deal with greater threats. Plus, the man is getting up there in years, probably doesn't want to fight if he doesn't have to." Sebastian Vael responded from atop the white horse he rode on. "Plus, he probably doesn't want to unleash his monsters around the civilians. Not everyone in this caravan is combat trained." He added as he motioned to the six carriages and thirty outriders marching down Titan Pass. "I've seen that man fight once, once was enough." "I guess that makes sense, but I still think this is just going to end up being a quiet run." "Well if it is, we are getting paid nearly ten million a piece to travel from one side of these mountains to the other. Stop complaining." Sebastian said as he lit a cigar, "Easy money is easy money. And if it's less easy, well that's what we're here for" The S-class mage smiled. "Yeah, guess you're right." ---- Augustus didn't pay attention to the rabble of the conversation around him, for he, to be frank, didn't care. No one in this caravan mattered to him, they were all expendable. But that is why the council tolerated the wizard guilds. After all, why risk your own men when you can pay some chumps to die for you? He spoke to his assistant, a woman in her late thirties, "Any news?" The woman closed her eyes as she put two fingers to her forehead, shaking her head no shortly after. "I detect no magic beyond that already in the caravan. If she's on her way, she hasn't gotten here yet." "She'll be here if she's coming at all, this is the farthest from reinforcements. Then we just have to kill her guild, pay off our hired help, and our business will be concluded. Cecilia, just keep searching. She'll come. I'm counting on it." A slight flash of moonlight. The horses of the five carriages erupted in a united roar. A sudden explosion of panicked neighs piercing the calmness of the valley's night. Suddenly the trained horses dashed in all sorts of directions. Spooked by something...or someone. A bumpy trip which would lead the carriages careening into ditches and against the thick forest at both sides of the valley. The source of the chaos made herself known in a gust of wind. A woman, no more than 4 feet in height, covered in a green cloak. Veterans of the Magic World would recognize the signature hood and the accompanying ominous suffocative aura. A contradictory sensation as this little dwarf brought men in their primes to their knees in but a breath. She removed her cloak. Revealing the wrinkled skin and aged smile. Her wide eyes staring forward. The Saint of the Lake Surface Eye. Teacher to one of the strongest, up-and-coming Rune Knights. A woman whose tales and exploits were only seconded by the one above her. Baba Yaga looked to the carriages around her. So many S-Class mages for a simple escort duty? Baba Yaga pondered. The most recent bandit attack wasn't for some miles away from here. And there hasn't been any Dark Guild activity in this valley as of recently. Something twirled within her stomach. Crow Feet was on the borderline of legality. And used the darkness of the world to obtain information. They were monsters who hunted monsters. "Can someone help an old lady?" She asked with a toothy grin. The horses of the caravan scattered, many taking their outriders with them as they scattered. Four of the five carriages ran off the road, only the fourth one's beasts not even reacting to the light above. "That witch..." Jared sword as he picked himself up from the ground, wiping the dirt from his face as Sebastian lightly set down on his feet, the later's horse having blindsided the former, knocking him to the ground. "Aye, I think we have a bit of a problem," Sebastian said as he began to walk forward, placing himself between the rest of the caravan and the woman. "Scatter ya little hatchlings. I need to talk to the old man." Baba Yaga ordered. Her voice filled with a well earned arrogance. "I'm afraid we can't do that ma'am," Sebastian said as he adjusted his collar. "We were paid for a job you see." "I got high brother..." Jared said as he struck a pose, his muscles rippling with tension. "You always have to ruin my suit don't you." Sebastian grinned as he cracked his knuckles. "I got low..." The ground cracked beneath the giant of a man's feet as Jared soared into the air, his powerful body propelling him easily a dozen meters in the air through physical power alone. Rocking his left arm back, a deep green glow emanating from his hand as runes etched themselves from the sky. As Jared soared into the sky, Sebastian's hands touched the ground as a grey circle poured across the ground and the wind around him swirled. "GEM MAGIC: FIST OF BAHIA!" Jaren shouted as he fell towards the woman from above, the air crystallizing in the wake of the fist as flows of emerald power flowed off his glowing fist. "Wind Magic: Platzender Geysir!" Sebastian roared in kind as the ground in the valley shuddering under the touch of his wind magic. Even as the Emerald Fist descended from above, the ground bubbled and shuddered under the ancient witch's feet, streams of wind bursting through as a large mass of wind started forcing its way through the earth to engulf Baba Yaga from below. The pair's combination attempting to put the woman between a rock and a geyser. Snap. It took only a second for the falling Jared to see what one would call their reflection. A giant mirror phasing into existence before the emerald punch. Followed by a massive explosion as the force of the blow erupted back at Jaren. A taste of his own magic. The old crone punished her hatchlings for being as reckless as these so-called S-Rank mages. Plans should be discussed before jobs and altered through inconspicuous gestures and nonsensical audibles. She'd lecture. Hell, they pretty much allowed her to prepare the magic needed for the two spells. Speaking of which, she stepped into a mirror behind her and reappeared to the side of the wind magician. Snap When all the dust settled, two mirrors appeared before Jaren and Sebastian. Leaving them to see a reflection of themselves. One which would be impossible to look away.